


Unread Message

by elletromil



Series: Texting with a dead man [4]
Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-28
Updated: 2016-10-28
Packaged: 2018-08-27 11:14:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8399515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elletromil/pseuds/elletromil
Summary: Harry really should feel relief to be getting texts from Eggsy, since it means that the boy is alive. But reading the texts only makes him feel even more guilty than he has been since waking up from his coma.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LiProuvaire](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiProuvaire/gifts), [BouncyBrittonie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BouncyBrittonie/gifts), [InsaneRedDragon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsaneRedDragon/gifts).



Harry’s been awake for a few days now and even though he’s too weak to attempt leaving the hospital on his own, at least his memory doesn’t feel like Swiss cheese anymore.

Not that he’s told the doctors as much, because even when he was still woozy from the drugs, he had the good sense of keeping whatever he remembered of his identity to himself. Even with the world gone to shit, one simply never knows who is watching and Harry is fully taking advantage of the safety behind being known only as a John Doe to fully recuperate from his recent brush with death.

That is of course before a well meaning nurse brings him his cellphone, hoping to help jog his memory. The nurse fears it won’t help much since the phone doesn’t seem to work at all, but it’s the only thing they know for sure is going to be slightly familiar to him.

He thanks her profusely, waiting until no one’s attention is on him anymore before powering it up with a press of his thumb. Not that he thinks there is anyone in the hospital out to get him, but it would be a bit too long and awkward explaining why Harry had access to technology that only work with his own set of fingerprints. Or how it was still getting a perfect signal when reception was still spotty at best in the area. He would have to buy Merlin a bottle of scotch in thanks for coming up with the genius that were the Kingsman issued phones.

If his friend is still alive.

Obviously, someone from Kingsman stepped up to stop Valentine before it was too late, however, there is no telling who. Sure, Merlin is probably too stubborn to die from some random madman’s plan, but one can never know in this line of work.

Harry tries calling the few numbers for stranded agents, but it comes as no true surprise that they are now disconnected. He’s been out of it for close to two months after all, and those numbers change on a pretty regular basis.

He worries a bit more when he can’t contact Merlin directly, but hopefully, it’s only because his friend is a paranoid bastard and has changed his number again.

He’s about to try and contact Percival when he notices he has a few text messages unread and they can only be from one person since he’s never used this phone to text anyone else.

Uncharacteristically, he hesitates for a moment before bringing them up, thumb hovering over the icon, fearing how old the messages are going to be. He remembers checking the phone before entering that thrice cursed church and not seeing any new messages from Eggsy, not that he had really expected any. Had he been the boy, he would have also been angry at himself and rightly so.

In fact, he _is_ angry at himself still for the poor way he treated the boy he’s come to love so much in what could be their last moment together. Even the partial amnesia of the first hours of being back with the living hadn’t been enough to make him forget the guilt from his parting words.

Eggsy had not deserve to be the target of his anger, but it had been easier to take it out on him than to face who was truly at fault for the boy’s failure at the last test. Harry himself.

He should have realised that Eggsy would never risk hurting an innocent creature, especially one that depended on him and especially not on the say so of a man he didn’t trust. He should have realised it, just like Chester had, and do everything so that the stupid test would be overseen by himself or Merlin or anyone else really. It might have screamed of favouritism, but having Chester in charge of Eggsy last test when the man clearly wanted to see him fail wasn’t any better.

But what had been done couldn’t be undone and Harry had reacted like the sad bastard he was, putting it all on Eggsy’s shoulders when he was very much at fault himself.

Of course, the boy had given him as good as he had gotten, the words cutting deeper than Harry had shown, but Eggsy had seemed genuinely sorry as soon as they had left his lips.

It is more than can be said about Harry, Harry who had left without even saying goodbye. If their places had been reversed, if he had been in Eggsy’s winged shoes, he wouldn’t have wanted anything to do with himself anymore. Eggsy deserves so much better.

But obviously, for some inconceivable reason, Eggsy has not written him off entirely and Harry can only wish the messages are dated after V-Day, so that he will know right away that Eggsy has survived the horrible event safe and sound.

He has enough guilt already, he doesn’t know how he would deal if any harm has come to Eggsy because he has been unable to stop Valentine before he could put his crazy plan into action.

He hesitates so long that the screen goes dark and that is what finally prompts him into action. He won’t know until he looks and if Eggsy has survived and texted him, then it means he must be worried about Harry’s well-being. Harry’s sure the boy will still be angry at him for the way they left things off, but he also _cares_ much more than one would expect from someone who had lived the kind of life he had. Worrying for the people he’s close to is just how Eggsy is, no matter how furious he can be at them.

Really, the only things Harry is achieving by delaying as he does is making Eggsy worries more as the time flies.

That simply can’t do.

The wave of relief that hits him when he sees the time-stamp of the messages is like nothing he’s ever felt before. But then again, he’s never loved anyone quite like he loves Eggsy.

It only lasts until he reads the content however. Guilt seizes his heart again when he realises that Eggsy not only believes him dead, but that Harry died disappointed and angry at him, as if Harry had ever been anything but immensely proud of him. The hurt he’s caused is greater than he could have imagined and he only hopes he can convinces Eggsy that the boy is blameless in this sad affair.

Once he has send his own replies, he waits for longer than is necessary to see if Eggsy will answer, even though it’s still early morning in London. Eggsy is probably still asleep and Harry is being a sad old fool.

The moment he’s about to try and see if he can reach one of the other Knights instead of waiting pointlessly is the exact moment he sees the little dots indicating Eggsy is currently typing appearing in the bottom corner of his screen.

The next text he receives does nothing to assuage Harry’s guilt, but there’s nothing he can do except convincing the boy that it is indeed him. He will try and make his amends again once Merlin has him back in England, face to face this time, because Eggsy deserves that much respect. He’ll only leave the boy alone if he’s asked to, something which wouldn’t surprise him, even if the simple thought of it is near unbearable.

He stares dumbly at his phone when it starts ringing, having forgotten somehow that it is its primary function. His feelings for Eggsy has a knack to turn him into an imbecile.

Thankfully, not so much of an imbecile that he doesn’t answer the call, and only years of training allows him to force the greeting out of his throat that suddenly feels too tight.

His heart shatters when he hears Eggsy’s voice break after a few syllables and he wishes dearly he could be there to comfort him.

Soon however, he has other things to worry about because Percival takes over the call. His presence with Eggsy raises many questions, but mostly, he is just glad that someone is there for his boy, especially when he can hear him sobbing distantly. He would never wish hurt to him, but he knows that if he is to have a breakdown, he couldn’t be in better hands than Percival’s.

Once the call ends, with the other Knight reassuring him he would take care of everything, Harry kind of wish Percival was with him too.

He could do with a hug himself.


End file.
